Saddle up and ride the roads that will host cycling elite this summer

Yorkshire has a myriad number of cycling clubs which cater for thousands of riders the length and breadth of the county.

Every weekend they flood the roads of Yorkshire on training rides and races.

For those cycling disciples to now think the best in the world will be cycling the same very roads this summer, is beyond comprehension.

Ben Wood, pictured, a 34-year-old cyclist from Keighley, who works in the industry at All Terrain Cycles, best sums up the feeling amongst local cyclists about the prospect of seeing Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome whizz past.

“It’s like the football World Cup coming to your local parks; like the Brazilian World Cup team turning up and having a game of footy with you,” said Wood.

“Even though we won’t be riding the Tour de France, to see the best cyclists in the world riding the roads we know so well, and the chance to see them on your own turf, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and something we might never get to see again. So people need to embrace it.

“It will leave a legacy for cycling a lot longer than I think people expect. Already we’re seeing the impact with places like Otley setting up a new track. Plus at All Terrain Cycles, we’re getting so many more orders from local schools than before.

“When I went to school you did your cycling proficiency and that was it.

“Now there’s after-school clubs, cycling and BMX tracks being built. It all comes from the Olympic legacy and the two definitely go hand in hand.”